Development Incentive Programs

The Rapid Transit and Non-Market Rental Housing Development Incentive Programs are two initiatives supported by the Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) grant aimed to boost housing development near rapid transit as well as affordable rental housing by providing a financial incentive for strategic development. 

For background information on the incentive programs, review the corporate report. 

Rapid Transit Development Incentive Program

This program encourages and accelerates the development of housing near existing rapid transit. 

The incentive applies to multi-unit residential development in rapid transit eligible areas, defined as projects generally within 1.5 km of:

• Existing SkyTrain (Expo Line) stations:
  • Scott Road station 
  • Gateway station 
  • Surrey Central station 
  • King George station 
• Existing RapidBus corridors: 
  • R1 King George RapidBus between Guildford and Newton exchanges 
  • R6 Scott Road RapidBus between Scott Road station and Newton exchange 

Eligibility 

To be eligible for the Rapid Transit Development Incentive, a project must meet the following criteria: 

• Located within the rapid transit eligible areas:
  • SkyTrain 
  • R1
  • R6
• New, predominately residential construction of multi-residential buildings that are:
  • A minimum of four-storeys (e.g., low-rise apartment or higher)
  • Greater than 0.50 gross residential floor area ratio
  • A minimum of 2,000 square metres in residential floor area
• Receive full superstructure building permit issuance by August 31, 2026
• Complies with all applicable City policies, bylaws and regulations 

Rebate

This program offers a 50% rebate on the following application fees paid after December 4, 2023:

• Planning: rezoning, development permit, development variance permit
• Engineering: servicing agreement processing, administration, ESC application
• Building: building permit fees, excluding fees relating to building permit revisions, plumbing permits, electrical permits, sprinkler permits, sign permits, erosion and sediment control permits, and other related permits, as required

Non-Market Rental Housing Development Incentive Program

This program encourages and accelerates the development of affordable non-market rental housing units. 

This program applies to Eligible Development projects that provide either a portion or the entirety of the development as affordable non-market units anywhere in the City. 

• An Eligible Development is defined in the City's Development Cost Charge Bylaw as "a rental housing development operated by public housing bodies prescribed in the Residential Tenancy Act and Regulations if the units are subject to a legal agreement securing rental tenure for a minimum period of 60-years, as accepted by the City, and is either: (a) wholly owned and operated by a public housing body; or (b) operated by a public housing body, pursuant to a legal agreement with the property owner;”.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Non-Market Rental Housing Development Incentive, a project must meet the following criteria:

• Located within Surrey
• Meets the definition of Eligible Development as outlined in the DCC Bylaw
• New, predominately residential construction of multi-unit residential buildings that are:
  • A minimum of three-storeys
  • Greater than 0.50 gross residential floor area ratio
• Receives a full superstructure building permit issuance by August 31, 2026
• Complies with all applicable City policies, bylaws and regulations

Rebate

This program offers a 50% rebate on the following application fees paid after December 4, 2023:

• Planning: rezoning, development permit, development variance permit 
• Engineering: servicing agreement processing, administration, ESC application
• Building: building permit fees excluding fees relating to building permit revisions, plumbing permits, electrical permits, sprinkler permits, sign permits, erosion and sediment control permits, and other related permits, as required

Additionally, this program offers an exemption to the following, which will be funded by the HAF grant:

• Surrey DCCs
• Secondary Plan and Infill Area Community Amenity Contributions (CACs)

General information about the incentive programs

Receiving your rebate 

If you meet the eligibility criteria, City staff will reach out to you to administer the rebate process within four to six weeks of building permit issuance. 

The rebate will be issued to the payee. 

Applying to the programs

You are not required to apply to the incentive programs. City staff will review and advise applicants of their eligibility and the steps to receive the rebate and/or exception.

Contact

For more information about the development incentive programs, contact:

• Kevin Shackles, Senior Planner: kevin.shackles@surrey.ca
• Sarah Robertson, Planner: sarah.robertson@surrey.ca